The Uncrowned King by Rowena Cory Daniells

The Uncrowned King

Rowena Cory Daniells

Paperback, 448 pages

Rebellion
July 27, 2010

* Thanks to Rowena Cory Daniells for sending me a review copy!

The Uncrowned King is the second book in the fantasy trilogy, The Chronicles of King Rolen’s Kin (click here for my post about the first book, The King’s Bastard). There are so many things I want to say about the storyline but to ensure I don’t give too much away I’ll just give you the summary from the back cover:

Thirteen year old Piro watches powerless as her father’s enemies march on his castle. A traitor whispers poison in the King’s ear, undermining his trust in her brother, Byren.

Determined to prove his loyalty, Byren races across the path of the advancing army, towards the Abbey. Somehow, he must get there in time to convince the Abbott to send his warriors to defend the castle.

Meanwhile, the youngest of King Rolen’s sons, Fyn, has barely begun his training as an Abbey mystic, but he wakes in a cold sweat, haunted by dreams of betrayal…

After reading the first two books I am loving this trilogy. Not only is the storytelling engaging, fun, and exciting, but the worldbuilding is spot on. I love how I’m able to picture Rolencia and get a sense of its people and their beliefs and lifestyles. The magical powers and abilities of those touched my Affinity continue to fascinate me as well, and one of the highlights for me was when Byren is accepted by an ulfr pack that adopts him as one of their own. Love it!

The pacing is lightning fast as we follow Byren, Fyn, and Piro on their individual journeys to defy the king’s enemies and save their family. Orrade isn’t in this book since he’s taken up his late father’s post as Lord Dovecote and is currently leading his people to safety, but Florin and Leif return and we’re introduced to a few new characters, my favorite being Lord Dunstany – the power worker who takes Piro as his slave after the fall of the castle.

The helpless frustration I felt while reading The King’s Bastard stayed with me during this book (in a spine-tingling, good way). The constant threat of betrayal, the uncertainty of who to trust, and the slurry of rumors and misinformation hiding the truth kept me on the edge of my seat with suspense and anxiety. Piro and her brothers are all isolated, not knowing if the others are alive or dead, yet determined to push on.

I’m so excited to see what happens next and how the power struggle will play out in the end. I’m especially anticipating Piro’s role as a servant to King Merofyn’s daughter. Looking forward to more intrigue and adventure in The Usurper!

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Dionne Soares Palmer Said:

Nice review, I can’t wait to read these! I just started the Sword of Truth series that Brain recommended, and I heard there was something like ELEVEN freaking books in that series, so it may be a while before I’m free to take on another reading commitment, but I am looking forward to reading The King’s Bastard when I’m done. Any idea when The Usurper is coming out?